


Black-eyed Susan | Levi x Reader - Hunger Games Au

by personb



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Best Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hunger Games, Hunger Games AU, Hurt/Comfort, and the reader definitely isn't good at it either, levi is an idiot when it comes to feelings sometimes and thats okay, some characters will be oc due to the au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:00:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29732859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/personb/pseuds/personb
Summary: In District Twelve all you and Levi have left is each other, you were so close to making it out of the yearly reaping for the Hunger Games like every year before. So fucking close.(Updating weekly on Saturdays Australia time)
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Original Female Character(s), Levi Ackerman/Reader
Comments: 20
Kudos: 35





	1. The Reaping

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh as Levi planted a punch right in the peacekeeper’s nose. He howled and stumbled back bumping into a makeshift stall whose owner shoved him away casually. The rest of the hub watched in amusement as the guy landed on his face in the dirt. Three of the district peacekeepers were hyperventilating as they laughed, not even attempting to help their comrade. Levi shook his hand out and rolled his wrist, looking far too cool for everyone else but looking like a dumbass to me who knew he had messed up the punch. 

The hub was dark and grotty as usual, the light barely reaching through the gaps in the wooden boards above and the crooked barn doors around us. Levi never liked to stay for too long or he swore the smell made visible stains in his already tatted shirt. I didn’t mind the hub myself, always people going along with their day, throwing a smile here and there to those they knew and to those they didn’t, and of course always giving the best prices for our meat. We had gone into the hub to try and sell some rabbits and squirrels to the butcher but two of the uptight peacekeepers had wanted to know how the hell we got them. Speaking of two…

My eyes went wide as I saw a huffing red-faced peacekeeper storming up from behind Levi. I grabbed a wooden ball from the stall behind me and tossed it my hand, feeling its weight.

I cocked my head to the side, looking Levi dead in the eye who then plummeted down into a crouch as I piffed the ball straight into the peacekeeper’s forehead. We admired as he fell back like a log, sending up a cloud of dust around him. The other three peacekeepers finally started looking agitated, not because they didn’t like us or something, which was evident from the amount of times they had bought from and covered for us in the past, but their superior on the other hand wasn’t going to be too pleased.

I started sweeping our money into my pouch, as Hannes, one of the other three peacekeepers, our main customer, though a raved drunk, put up his five fingers and started counting down. It was the classic system we had set up: if we catch you; you’re punished, if we don’t; we never saw you.

I thanked the butcher with a charismatic smile as Levi tugged on my sleeve, saluted the blond guard with my two fingers. “Adios dear Hannes!” And we broke off into a sprint.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as we passed out the doors and heard the faked cries of disappointment and anger and their lazy run after us. But with no telling when the other two were going to get up we wound around the corners of slanted houses and piles of decade old rubble scattering the paths as fast as we could. We didn’t exactly have anyone to bail us out. Levi led ahead, checking back periodically to check if I was keeping up as his small stature always seemed to outrun me. He slowed down to match my pace and a little smile appeared on my lips at his little form of care.

I let out happy greetings drunk on adrenaline as we passed school mates, heading home early for the day, who sent back confused waves.

“God, you’re so loud brat,” Levi jutted at me, but I easily saw the small smile he tried oh so hard to hide plastered on his face.

Finally, we made it to our shitty house and let ourselves in quickly with an exhausted breath. We closed the door behind us and soon heard footsteps and an overdramatic sigh from Hannes. I peeked out through a hole between the wooden boards, Levi pretended to remain uninterested but stayed leaning against the door to listen with his knife cleaning out under his fingernails. I watched as Hannes feigned confusion and gradually led them all away, they had bigger things to worry about today.

With a sigh of relief, I dumped our stuff on our tiny kitchen table. Our home wasn’t much with its small wooden table and stools, half working stove, which was just a glorified campfire, our basic set of draws we had picked up off the road one day and our two squeezed together mattresses on the ground. Our thin tattered blankets weren’t much on their own but when layered they could become half useful, and hey, a little body heat never hurt either. The legality of whether we owned the place was up for debate but since no one had bothered us yet, we were yet to budge.

I sat back on our rocking chair and started counting out the coins. Levi leant against the table drinking out of his bottle, holding it from the top which I would never fail to find endearing. He wiped his mouth lazily looking at me, peeking out of the black hair covering his face from his undercut, which would have made me blush if I hadn’t focused my energy into my hands. God those eyes.

“How much did we get?” he said, putting the bottle down.

I let out sigh with my fallen shoulders. “Enough,” I admitted, “But we’ll need a bit more if we want to get you a shirt next week.”

“We’re eating for two not four, remember (y/n)?” He said my name so softly it could have made me cry if I was tired enough which wasn’t far off to be honest. He leant his head to the side to catch my eye.

“I know I know; habits die hard.” I said scratching my head, I mustered a half assed smile his way. “But hey? It’s always good to have some comfort money.”

He nodded absentmindedly, dropping the subject to my relief. Grieving takes a lot of forms, but they all fail to disappear just as slowly.

“Do you want to go out to the forest before it’s time?” he said out of nowhere, staring out the window.

I looked at him in confusion. “I mean I guess, but we were just out there this morning.”

“Just in case.” I heard him whisper.

I stood up and headed towards him with anger already beginning to carve itself in my face. “How many times did you put your name in?”

He let out a quiet exhale and looked at me. “Thirty.”

I instinctively let out a bewildered breath, a half baffled half mad smile, running my hand through my hair, no doubt pulling some out. “And how much did we promise?”

“Twelve,” he said emotionlessly. “One for each month. I did more since it’s my last one alright.”

I could barely look at him, overwhelmed with frustration at his stupid selflessness that he seemed unable to shake. “God, and I thought I was being the annoying one doing twenty but fucking thirty?!”

“You _what_?” Levi said dangerously quietly.

I pointed an aggressive finger at his chest. “You are not allowed to get mad at me going up eight when you went up by eighteen alright?”

I watched as his jaw locked to the side and I could feel his want to lecture me radiate off him, but his hypocrisy caught him out into an awkward spot. “The last time someone did twenty-”

“Don’t try an act like it’s some jinxing number Levi.” I glared. “They’re gone, and have been for a long time, we’re just going to have to live with that.” I directed my anger away and towards my bag, taking out the small items we had bought and putting them away.

He watched me, unmoving. “Maybe I should have volunteered back then.”

I whipped around at breakneck speed. “You fucking _should not have_.”

He shrugged lazily.

“It wouldn’t have changed anything Levi, all four of us were kids, we barely even qualified. Not even you would have had a chance.”

“Like we aren’t kids now?”

“You know what I meant Levi; 14-year-olds don’t win the Hunger Games.” 

“Never know,” he whispered. “Could have at least got Isabel out maybe, would have saved Furlan going in.”

“I wouldn’t have let you.” I shoved some thread in a draw violently, refusing to look at him.

“You couldn’t have stopped me brat-” He began but noticed my shaking form.

My hands were stuck to the draws, knuckles white. My eyes were squeezed shut, facing the brick wall in front of me, barely aware of anything except for him. I fastened my eyes closed, trying to not let anything out, but I could feel my tears pooling in my eyelashes. “Please not today Levi, just not today,” I whispered.

I heard footsteps, he turned me around and held my head to his chest, taking on the vibrations of my shakes and resting his chin on my head. It was a position we had both become far too accustomed to. I could feel his apology as he rubbed small circles into my upper back as I gripped tightly onto his shirt, terrified to let go. He rocked left and right on his feet gently, letting the small sound of our footsteps fill up the deafening silence.

Levi ducked under the wire as I held it up, me looking around for any stray peacekeepers. Once he got out, we changed roles and I slid between the wires, knocking the metal sign reading “ELECTRIC FENCE: ANY TRESSPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED” with my foot; a sign many had learned to ignore.

We made our way into the trees and up the hill, but not too far so we’d have time to get back. We followed the small creek as we went. I jumped over the rocks absentmindedly, careful not to slip. Levi watched me quietly as he walked on the grass just in case he needed to catch me. Even though it had only been once, it was enough to be engrained in him. I saw him hold himself back from picking up the herbs we passed, a task that had become therapeutic to him, instead he picked a flower twiddling it between his fingers. It was a yellow daisy, well it wasn’t actually a daisy, it had some other weird name I couldn’t remember. Its yellow petals ended in soft curves but stuck in the middle was its black pollen in a little circle, catching the eye. Levi looked down at it softly.

We finally arrived at the grassy hill, I hopped off a rock and walked with him. We sat down and looked over the district. I always liked coming up there, though the walk was small it always made District Twelve look so tiny, so insignificant in the grand scheme of everything. It still made a nasty grey stain on the landscape though. At least there wasn’t much smoke today as people stopped work early, it made the air feel a little clearer.

My fingers caressed the blades of grass around me as I leant back my head and closed my eyes under the sun. Levi sat next to me leaning on his knees, eyes still on the flower. I rolled my head over and looked at him.

“I’m sorry I got mad at you before.” He looked up in mild surprise. “I just get scared.”

He gave a small nod.

I hesitantly put my head on his shoulder as we looked over the town. I felt him shift underneath to compensate and nestle me further into his neck more comfortably. Levi wasn’t one for physical affection, but it seemed today he had made an exception.

The wind brushed against us and made our hair dance gently in the wind. I could hear his gentle and slow heartbeat. I closed my eyes and just listened to the world around us. I could hear the mockingjays tweet their little song, no doubt having picked it up from some miner. It was good.

After a while, Levi spoke. “We have to head back brat.”

I groaned as I lifted my head and wiped my eyes groggily. “What would happen if we just slept up here for the rest of the day? What’s the likelihood of them missing us, huh?” I tried to bargain.

“We can’t get the tesserae if we don’t,” he argued back, lifting himself from the ground and dusting his pants off.

“Yeah, yeah, and you’ll get your stupid thirty lots of it.” I grabbed his extended hand which picked me up, nearly throwing me off balance with his strength. I quickly dusted myself off and look up to see him holding his flower to me.

“A gift?” I said in fake shock, holding a dainty hand to my chest, hopefully covering for my rapidly rising blush.

He rolled his eyes. “Accessory.”

I raised an eyebrow.

He stepped closer and my breath hitched. He tenderly moved my hair out of the way of my ear and gently slid the stalk of the flower in. He silently arranged my hair around it so it wouldn’t crush it and stepped back to admire his work. I attempted to form words in my head, trying to pinpoint something to say.

“See? Even you can look pretty,” Levi joked, a cocky smirk coming to his lips.

I pouted and narrowed my eyes at him, happy for an out. “Rude.” An idea popped into my head. “But you need one too,” I said smugly.

“I do _not_.”

“ _Do too_.” I grinned.

I ran off with him begrudgingly following me as I searched the path back. With a chuckle I skipped over and plucked one dramatically, offering it to him. “We have to match,” I declared.

He rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, crossing his arms. A second passed. “Well are you going to put it on or what?”

Baffled that he was actually letting me, I walked over, making sure to seize the moment while I had it. I gently brushed his raven hair away and placed the flower gingerly on his ear, the petals caressing his face, the yellow clashing against his pale skin. I took a step back and give him a soft smile. “See? Even you can look pretty.”

Even Levi couldn’t help himself but to release a small smile at that.

We each held two buckets of water as we walked through the town back home. The line at the pump had taken forever, but what else is there to expect on reaping day?

I nudged open the door and put down the water on the table, Levi following in suit. I quickly put three of the buckets on the stove to heat up and boil. Levi wiped down the inside of our wooden tub, adamant to find any speck that dared to cross him.

“You first yeah?” I asked as I set out our clothes on the bed.

“You,” he said simply.

“For someone who’s such a clean freak I do not understand how you manage to share water.”

Soon I got the water and poured them in after Levi was satisfied. The steam rose up and hit us in the face, already creating little droplets on our foreheads.

As if on cue, Levi turned away and draped the curtains across our window as he did so. I quickly got rid of my clothes and plopped myself into the bath, giving myself a moment to get used to the temperature. I let out a sigh as Levi took a seat on one of the stools still facing away to give me privacy.

We stayed in a comfortable silence as I scrubbed myself down using the soap and thick brush Levi had left beside me. Every time I used it, I always wondered if it was meant to be for horses, but either way it did the job. It always shocked me how much dirt was caked into my skin from everyday life. I had tried my best to get rid of as much as I could before I went in, but some still bled into the water around me. Scrubbing the bottom of my feet was always the worst part, the bristles always attempted to tickle me, I had to muster some self-control not to flinch away every time.

I was nearly done but left my back as usual. “Levi?” I said into the air.

As usual he dragged his stool over, careful to stay straight behind me to miss any parts of myself I would want to avoid him seeing. I held up the brush, making sure soap and water was soaking it already. He moved my hair out of the way and began scrubbing my back. I leant forward, giving him full access as I drifted into relaxation. I always managed to forget how gentle of a person Levi was in between knife fights in alleys and beat ups at school. Most would guess he didn’t have one bone in his body that wasn’t manufactured for sending kicks and punches and slashes. It felt special to see him like this. Like he was my own private Levi, one that no one else would get to have the pleasure to see. All I wanted to do to was keep him all to myself.

“You didn’t even do your hair right, it’s still shitty,” Levi insulted.

I turned to poke out my tongue at him and he immediately closed his eyes making me laugh. “Such a gentleman,” I joked.

“Done brat?” He said, eyes still fastened shut.

“Yeah, yeah,” I turned back around.

He started threading his fingers through my hair, tugging gently through knots. I closed my eyes and held my knees to my chest drunk from the touch. Soon his hands left, and my head felt empty. Taking it as my cue to get out, I quickly squeezed out the water from my hair and got dressed.

We were always meant to look nice on reaping day, like it was a wedding and not a funeral. I quickly put on the full-length blue dress I put on every year like clockwork. It was the only thing I had left of my mother. I would wear it until I no longer could.

As soon I was dressed, I took Levi’s place on the stool at the table looking out of the window that peaked out from under the curtain. I tried to direct my focus to the people moving outside, some going home to get dressed up, other leaving home to get to the town centre early to miss the imminent lines. But as try as I might, I couldn’t help but pick up the sounds of Levi shedding his clothes behind me. It always managed to fluster me without fail and I was thankful for always having my back to him when he did it.

Water splashed. An exhale. A silence. Scrubbing.

After a while it stopped. “Need help?” I asked.

He hummed.

I made my way over, following the same as he did before, careful to avoid looking at him in any way that could make him uncomfortable. He passed up the brush. I flickered a few bristled with my thumb before getting to work. It went quiet as he leant into my touch. I steadied him with one hand on his back, as I scrubbed as hard as I could, knowing Levi would literally rather be red and have sensitive skin than dirty. I looked up and spotted a small leaf in the back of his hair that he had managed to miss.

“You didn’t even do you hair right,” I mimicked in a deep voice which elicited a low chuckle.

I picked the leaf out and reached down to the soap, making sure my hands were slathered in it. I slid my fingers into his hair and began massaging his scalp, getting the soap as deep into his roots as I could. He let out a quiet hum and closed his eyes.

It felt so peaceful and natural being there. But I couldn’t help but wish it were different, like my brain was trying to sour the mood. I couldn’t help but wish this close moment was more than what it was. Not platonic affection, though to be fair it was teetering on the edge, but it wasn’t a definite. It was too tender and intimate for my stupid heart to handle. But the atmosphere felt slightly different today, slightly off in a way I couldn’t manage to pinpoint, but a good difference, nevertheless. It felt like it meant something.

Soon he was dressed too, fitted into his white shirt and black pants that I had managed to tailor to actually fit him properly. He adjusted his cuffs as I quietly admired him.

“You look nice,” I said quietly making him look up in slight surprise. I was unsure whether it was my imagination that I saw a slight red dust on his cheeks as he turned away with a click of his tongue. I would have poked fun at him, but I felt too nervous and jittery to do even that.

He looked back at me, and wandered his eyes up and down me, following every part of my body. I stood stone still as blood rushed to my cheeks. He looked back up to my wide eyes. “You too.” Man, what this boy does to me.

We were about to leave when out of the corner of my eye I saw yellow on the table. I quickly picked up the two flowers, sliding one in behind my right ear, before running up to Levi. I put it in his breast pocket and patted it in place gently.

“I won’t force it behind your ear so you’re not _embarrassed_ ,” I poked my tongue at him.

I could see him itching to argue but I could tell he was thankful I hadn’t forced it on his head like an overbearing mother.

We headed out the door and followed along in silence behind the other people in front of us. Older siblings held the hands of their younger sisters and brothers who were shaking, some who were obviously having their first reaping. A girl was consoling her little brother who was sobbing on the footsteps of their home. Parents looked gaunt and sickly as their only child walked bravely in front of them, though their shaking hands were visible from a mile away. They were just kids. Kids.

It made me sick to my stomach.

Fear seemed to hit me out of nowhere and suddenly it was hard to keep up with his slow walking. Putting one foot in front of the other suddenly seemed like a daunting task. Levi looked at me concerned, I swallowed and gave him a small smile, but my jaw and face felt tight.

“It’s your second last year,” he reminded me, bumping his shoulder into mine.

“Second last year,” I repeated. Two years from now I would be nineteen and no longer qualify, Levi wouldn’t qualify after this one, all I had to do was get through this reaping and the next and we were golden. Just had to get through this.

I looked up and took a deep breath. “Race you back home after?” I managed out, accompanying it with a half-smile.

Levi didn’t fall for my deflection for two seconds. “Nothing bad’s going to happen to you brat.”

“Then you better not do anything stupid.”

We finally made it to the town centre meaning we would have to separate. We stopped and he looked at me, patting his chest just below the flower gently and with my index finger I tapped my ear with smirk. We split ways into our designated halves

Soon we got in the lines, my eyes burrowed into the back of the girl in front of me. “Next.” Eventually I got to the front where the lady in a sleek grey peacekeeper’s uniform was at her table, not even looking at me when she called. I held out my hand like clockwork and she pricked my finger making me wince. A beep came from her small machine, she looked at her device and then to her list curiously. She looked up for a moment, her dead eyes analysing me for a forever stretching moment. “Next.”

My heart dropped as I left the line. I was on auto pilot as I was guided towards the 17-year-olds section which they kept near the back so they could have the cute young kids at the front to somehow try and make it feel any less horrifying. I looked across and made eye contact with Levi. I tried to smile but my energy was being drained fast. I just wanted him to be next to me and bully me to distract me. For him to make shitty jokes that weren’t even funny. For him to just tell me it would be okay.

I looked up and watched as a crew set up the cameras around the area. One was looking right at the 17-years-olds girl’s group from above. I could see some other girls shifting uncomfortably, noticing it too. It felt wrong.

I looked up to the stage and saw the infamous Hanji Zoe sitting in a chair by herself on the right of stage, waiting for the mayor and his family to join her. I could see her joking with the peacekeeper next to her who was trying his best to ignore her. She was pretty well liked among the district, always making sure to come down to the hub to buy stuff, I was fairly sure she had bought from me once. A squirrel or something. Though usually she’d head home with as many bottles as she could carry. She was the only victor we had left alive, which wasn’t exactly a great feat to be fair, we had only won three times or so. We had had a thirty-year gap of no victors until she won a few years ago. Everyone but her was surprised it had seemed, the announcer had had to wait to double check she was the only one left. Maybe it was the fact she was from Twelve, or maybe it was the fact she killed the last four in one go.

A year or so after she won, she took over being the reaper and announcer as well as being a mentor. The Capitol apparently had found her a lot more entertaining to watch than old Nick who didn’t seem to be able to differentiate a boring lecture to an adrenaline pumping battle cry. I’d rather have my name called out by her than some Capitol asshole anyway.

Soon the mayor and his family walked out and took their seats. The crowd went quiet, save a few murmurs. I made eye contact one last time with Levi before looking back to stage as Hanji walked up to the microphone.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen,” Hanji said, “Today’s the day to kick off our 67th Hunger Games! Who’s ready!” The crowd remained silent except for a small rapid clap from Nick who I had failed to notice was still here, despite his unnecessary need to be present. “Wow tough crowd.” That elicited some chuckles.

“Before we begin the beloved ceremony, we need to watch a real _empowering_ and _touching_ video the Capitol has put together so kindly for us,” Hanji mocked, knowing she could milk the time on stage to try and alleviate our stress before we were live. “Here! We! Go!” she pointed dramatically up to the screen set up for us which began to play.

Melodramatic imagery began to play as the narrator, with an obviously altered voice to make him sound cooler, spouted out their propaganda script. I looked to Levi as I mouthed word for word the video, making funny faces in attempt to get a little smile. I saw him purse his lips and that was enough for me. The video ended without incident, and a man behind the camera facing up to Hanji indicated it was show time.

Her face fell and she took a deep breath. Even Hanji couldn’t find a way to make it any less terrifying. I swore I could hear a thirteen-year-old stifle his sobs to my right. “It is now time to reap our _valiant_ boy and girl to represent our district in this year’s games.” She looked over the crowd gently. “May the odds be ever in your favour. As usual, ladies first.”

She walked over to the clear bowl filled with names. I instinctively touched the flower behind my ear, rubbing a petal between my fingers. My eyes never left her hand which hesitated above the papers before deciding on one and slowly pulling it out.

My heart was pumping so hard it was impossible that no one else heard it. I tried to calm my breathing, but I felt the little red light of the camera glaring right at me. I couldn’t even bring myself to look at Levi, too afraid that if I did, I would run.

Hanji reached her mic. “The female tribute is…” She opened the paper, reading it, making sure she knew how to pronounce it and stepped forward. Her lips nearly touching the metal.

“(y/n) (l/n).”

It was so quiet, so overwhelmingly quiet.

It felt like the blood had stopped in my veins. My legs were going to give out underneath me at any moment. With shaking hands, I gripped onto my dress. Around me, the girls parted, giving me a path out. I managed a step and then another, gradually getting out onto the dirt path. Two keepers followed behind me and piloted me to the stairs. Hanji met me there and extended a hand in comfort. I took it and noticed how dull my hand looked, like it was devoid of blood. She gently pulled me towards centre stage to show me to the camera.

My eyes searched the crowd and found Levi looking at me in what I couldn’t describe as anything else but cold despair. I saw the boys around him giving him a look.

Something changed behind Levi’s eyes and my body went cold. I continued staring at him as Hanji walked over to the boy’s bowl.

 _Don’t_ , I tried to say, _don’t you dare Levi._

I shook my head at him desperately, but he had made up his mind, and Levi was a stubborn man.

Hanji came back, name in her hand. It didn’t really matter who she called up; it was going to be the same person no matter what.

_You told me you wouldn’t do anything stupid._

He looked me dead in the eye and patted his breast pocket.

A noise came out of Hanji, a name I assumed, I couldn’t even say for sure. All I knew was that a sixteen-year-old boy was frozen in fear in his section, boys began parting ways for him to give him space. But before he had even managed to take a step, Levi walked out of his section to a path where a duo of peacekeepers tried to stop him, I could have sworn one of them was Hannes. He raised his hand solemnly. I bit my lip to choke down my sobs.

“I volunteer.” If I had ever been a millisecond away from a break down, it was then. His deep voice rang across the square, a camera quickly found him and followed behind as he walked up to the stage. He never broke eye contact with me. I could feel my lip trembling, waiting to give out.

 _Don’t let them see you weak_ , I could hear him say, sending out the message across the empty space between us. _They don’t deserve it._

I took a deep breath and straightened my back, making my expression and emotions become shut away, at least for now. We extended our arms and shook hands like we had seen a million times before. His warm calloused hand felt at home in mine, but as quick as it was there, it departed. We both turned and faced the camera. It wouldn’t take a genius Capitol audience to notice the matching flowers.

Hanji continued talking, but it all just sounded like white noise. Suddenly she stopped and I focused my eyes back in. One by one, the kids in the audience and the parents and adults behind, thumped and held their fist to their heart. The only time you usually ever saw it was at a funeral, especially of someone you greatly respected. The last time I had seen someone do it, it was at the mass funeral after the mine explosion. It had been all my sob wracked body had managed to do. At first, when I stood upon that stage, I had been confused.

 _But, ah, (y/n)_ , _don’t you get it? This is your funeral, and Levi has decided to join you in the grave._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I am hoping to continue this as a full series half following the plot of the Hunger Games series so more characters will be added as the story progresses. I am hoping to update it every week or every two weeks if I can manage it as I'm in Uni.  
> (also I recommend getting word replacer which can replace (y/n) with your actual name it's the greatest!)


	2. The Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey to the Capitol is one of new rules and new quiet moments.

We were sent inside the mayor’s house, each guided into a small living room meant for goodbyes even though we wouldn’t be receiving any visitors, giving each other a quick glance as we were separated. I peered around the luxurious space; it was spotless. Oil paintings adorned the walls, the couches were covered in plush velvet and they didn’t even seem to have a dent disturbing them. The ginormous windows were covered in thick curtains, blocking anyone seeing in or out, and likely with guards on the other side in case anyone wanted to make a run for it.

I slinked back up to the door and hesitantly opened the door a crack. I looked out, seeing the grey back of a guard inches away. I looked closely and realised I recognised the blond hair that snuck out of the helmet.

“Hannes?” I whispered.

He glanced behind to me before facing forward again. He hummed quietly under his breath.

“Where’s Levi’s room?”

He stayed silent but looked around to see if anyone was watching. “Next one over, why?”

“Can you bring me over to him? Please.”

His foot beat anxiously against the floor, his looks becoming quicker.

“Please Hannes. I just want to be with him before it all goes to shit.”

He looked down at me with his mouth pursed into a firm line. He poked his tongue into his cheek and looked over his shoulder. “I’ll see what I can do, just wait.”

I paced around the room for the next minute and a half, glancing to the door every two seconds. Soon the sound of footsteps greeted me, and Hannes beckoned me over. He guided me out with a hand hovering at the small of my back down the corridor, stopping at a door whose assigned guard opened it for me. I thanked Hannes quickly and stepped into the room.

Levi looked up, sitting on the couch, his eyes going wide when he saw me. As soon as the heavy wooden door closed behind me, I ran up, him meeting me halfway, and swung my arms around his neck. He held my waist and leant his chin on my shoulder, swaying us side to side.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” I managed out.

He hummed.

We stayed there for a few minutes, hearing muffled conversations from the guards outside.

“I guess we should have stayed on the hill, huh?” I joked half-heartedly.

He drew himself back and held me at arm’s length, his face remained emotionless. His jaw locked, looking at me, his silver eyes analysing every part of my face. I gulped. A decision was made by both of us in that moment, of how we wanted the games to end, and we both knew they clashed horribly.

Silently I guided him down onto the plush rug, getting him to lay down on his back next to me. I looked up to the glass chandelier spreading light on the rest of ceiling from the ray of light that had snuck in past the curtains, it casted technicolour over the light blue paint. Our eyes raked over the shapes made, like we were cloud gazing, trying to find shapes and creatures hidden within the chaos. If I closed my eyes, I could even pretend we weren’t here, the rug threads almost felt like the grass on the hill. Almost.

But in those threads, our hands crawled to meet each other, interlocking at contact. I could feel my hand shaking within his. I kept staring at the ceiling, studying the colours as the door opened.

I glanced over to Hannes whose heart seemed to shatter at the scene before him.

It was time to go.

Levi stood and slowly lifted me to my feet. I gave a silent plead. He squeezed my hand tight.

We walked out hand in hand to the train station, ignoring the cameras that followed either side of us. The train door slid shut behind us.

The train’s interior matched, if not topped, the luxurious rooms of the mayor’s house. All of the chosen furniture and décor must have been in tune with the latest season, likely ahead of the waves of Capitol trends. Me and Levi could have worked our whole lives and still not have had enough money to buy even one thing that was in the room. It disgusted me; Levi felt no different.

Nick came out from a door ahead and gestured to the small table that held drinks and a tray of bite sized meals that probably had more nutrition than an entire week’s worth of what we could get. He looked down his nose haughtily at us, no doubt displeased with the smell of poverty that reeked off of us. I was once again very thankful for the fact that Hanji had stepped up to be the representative of Twelve. He glanced down to out linked hands and raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. I felt Levi hold me tighter. I didn’t need to look at him to know he was glaring holes into the older man’s head. Nick with a quiet scoff, gave a dismissive wave and left us alone.

We quietly made our way over to the table, our hands slipping out from each other’s as went to grab something.

Levi frowned as he looked at the tiny pavlova in his hand, eyebrows furrowed.

“It’s not gonna kill you,” I laughed, plopping mine in my mouth. “It’s too soon for that.”

He gave me a playful glare before taking a hesitant bite.

We quickly filled up on a few of the offered delicacies and drinks after deciding we needed as much as we could stuff into us to build up as much muscle and body fat possible in the time we had left, and food has always worked well for comfort anyway. Before we knew it, we were full, which came out of left field for both of us after not feeling it for many years. Everything felt so off.

We soon found ourselves wandering aimlessly around the room, feeling too awkward and unsure to leave until we were told we allowed to. The likely hood that we would be punished for doing so before going into the games was low, but it had definitely happened before. I peered at the abstract paintings that dotted the walls, understanding absolutely none of it, Levi looked at the diamond chandeliers no doubt thinking that it was a tasteless waste. We soon gathered by the window next to each other and looked out as the world sped past us. Everything was a blur no matter if you tried to follow something with your eyes.

“Didn’t even realise we had left,” Levi said lowly. I nodded in agreement; it was unnerving that we hadn’t even noticed the weird metal tube even leave the station, let alone going a fuckton of miles an hour.

Behind us the door slid open. We spun around and came face to face with Hanji Zoe. We both analysed her as she whistled under her breath and promptly poured herself a glass of some pungent drink that made me woozy with just the smell. She gulped half of it down immediately and gave us a quick wink and a smile before walking past us and making herself at home on one of the armchairs.

Levi looked to me and I just shrugged. I followed after her and sat on the small couch that faced her, Levi on my heels. She had already pulled out a book that she was dissecting as she took occasional sips. I coughed quietly and she looked up, mild surprise painting her face.

“Can I help you or…?” she asked slowly.

“Well,” I began, “Since you’re our-”

“Are you going to help us or what?” Levi butted in.

“Oh shit, you guys are actually serious?” Hanji spoke, putting down her book and proceeding to down the rest of her drink. “Haven’t had that in while, most just accept death at this point.”

That certainly wasn’t the most comforting news to hear but it wasn’t anything unexpected. Most reaped kids from Twelve, knowing they had next to no chance of getting home, would just spend their last days enjoying the gifts that the Capitol offered them. Might as well go out on a full stomach. Most never made it past the blood bath anyway. But not getting out of the bloodbath alive, let alone the final few, was not an option either of us had.

We both nodded and she sighed quietly, shifting in her chair and discarding her book on a coffee table.

“First things first I suppose,” Hanji said, scratching the back of her neck, “How much experience do you two have in fighting?”

“A bit,” Levi grunted. I didn’t need to say anything for Hanji to know immediately that that was a lie or at the very least a grand understatement.

“He gets into fights at school sometimes,” I answered honestly, “We both get into back-alley stuff when people and peacekeepers are giving us shit. Hunt a bit here and there too, but we don’t- didn’t really have the tools to do more impressive stuff like archery or anything like that.”

She held eye contact with me as I spoke, occasionally looking over to Levi to try and spot any holes in our story. She sat back and let out a breath. “Well, I then can say you two are already in the top half of tributes which is pretty good. Most don’t know how to make a fire let alone sock someone’s jaw, so you have an advantage there.”

I already felt myself buzzing at her words and gave Levi a quick smile which he softened at. We had a chance.

“Do you guys use weapons at all?”

“Just knives usually, or whatever’s lying around,” Levi said as he cracked his neck side to side before crossing his arms, “She can throw them though, I go in closer usually.”

Hanji’s eyebrows rose and she looked over to me to hear confirmation. I nodded.

She stood up suddenly and we watched, puzzled, as she shuffled through some draws and finally picked something out. Before I knew what was happening a steak knife was being thrown to me. I quickly caught it by the handle and looked up waiting for instruction.

She pointed to the opposite wall. “Try and stick it in.”

I stood up nervously, peering to Levi who just shrugged. I tossed it in my hand, feeling its weight. Most of its mass was delegated to its wooden handle so I had to make sure to throw it well. I drew my elbow up and threw it, spinning and cutting the air with a faint whistle, sticking itself cleanly into the dead centre of one of the oval mandalas in the patterned wallpaper, making me look way better than I actually was.

“What is going on here?!” we each spun to see Nick who had emerged from the door, the knife only half a metre from his now _very pale face_. “You don’t pay for the upkeep you know! Just because you’re getting a free trip to the Capitol it doesn’t mean you can do what you want!” He reached out, and with a bit of trouble, pulled the knife out and carefully placed it on the half-eaten food tray. “Outrageous,” he muttered under his breath as he walked out of the room.

As soon as the door slid behind him, Hanji snorted and broke into full out laughter. “Oh my god his _face_. That was actually amazing I wish I got a picture of it.” She wiped tears from her eyes as she walked back to us and fell back onto the chair. “Well, I know you’re good now at least.”

I scratched my head sheepishly. Levi bumped his shoulder into mine.

“How about you then huh?” Hanji cocked her head to him, “Can’t exactly challenge you to a knife fight on a _deluxe Persian rug,_ now can I?”

“He’s good,” I grinned, “He’s never lost a single fight and he cuts up people like they’re paper, not going in for the kill though obviously. He’s pretty notorious for it at this point.”

“I’m not that good,” he grunted.

“Oh, are you saying you’ve lost a fight then?” I shot at him.

“Well no, but-”

“Then where’s my lie then Levi?” A mischievous glint shone bright in my eyes.

“God you’re such a brat.” He rammed his shoulder into mine only making me laugh.

Hanji had watched us as we squabbled, a soft and sad smile on her face. I could have sworn when I glanced to her, a flame of familiarity flickered behind her eyes for a moment, but it was soon gone. She coughed, getting our attention back to her.

“So, you’re both competent enough at fighting it seems,” she said, “But fighting only gets you so far when you’re freezing your ass off in a cave in the middle of the snow. A lot of the tributes will get offed just by environmental stuff and lack of water and food, of course let alone the messed-up traps they’ll leave for you.”

Levi locked his jaw. “Get to the point.”

She threw up her arms in mock surrender. “I’m getting there, I'm getting there, sheesh. What it _means_ is that you two need sponsors.”

Levi audibly cursed.

“Precisely the problem dear Levi,” Hanji said, “They need to actually like you.”

“Why would we even need that shit-”

“Because when you’re close to starving to death, or you need medicine for an infected open wound that goes to the bone, or even just a blanket so you don’t die of hypothermia, you need someone to help you when you don’t have the resources or skill or knowledge to do it yourself.”

He looked away from us and clicked his tongue a moment before connecting with her eyes again.

“Sometimes, when they’re really liked, the fan favourite, then they’ll even drop down weapons that you weren’t able to grab at the start.” Her voice gradually became quieter. “And you don’t want to give up any possible opportunities that help get you closer to your goal.”

We both noticed her choice of words. Not a _win_. Our _goal_. She read both of us far too quickly, particularly for Levi’s liking. He looked down, arms still crossed. His arms tensed and his grip on his biceps tightened. After a moment he looked back up to her, his eyes barely visible through his hair.

“How do we get sponsors then? How do you get people to like you?” he spoke softly.

She exhaled and looked between us, her eyes moved up to the flower I still had behind my ear, and to the matching one in his pocket. “You show your likability through your relationships and interactions with others,” she said finally. “Which might mean you’ll be saved by the girl next to you.”

My eyes widened as they both looked to me.

“The Capitol audience is already likely infatuated with the way you volunteered so you could go in with her, so they already see you as a caring person and have dubbed you two a duo.” I gulped nervously and side eyed Levi who was poking his tongue in his cheek, but he glanced over to me and his face softened. “How long have you two been together?”

“Huh?” I sputtered, my face going red. Levi looked into his hands, suddenly very interested in his nails, ignoring all possible eye contact.

“Ah,” she said softly, staring at us in mild amusement. “My bad, I meant known each other?”

“We-” we started in accidental synchronicity, making us stop talking immediately.

“You talk,” Levi said quickly with a wave of his hand, still refusing to look at me. He must be embarrassed. It tore my heart just a little bit.

“Um well,” I began, “We’ve known each other like six-ish years or so? We’ve lived together for about four-five years. We met in school, but properly when we saw each other outside the fence.”

Hanji nodded, taking it all in. “Your relationship and the fact that you two seem to have almost opposite demeanours will help you two a lot I reckon. Levi can take the gruff, bad-boy type with a heart of gold, who will also likely get interest as he looks quite physically capable. You’ll be able to take the funny and kind and more approachable type of personality who still looks quite independent and reliable. If you two play those personalities up and show the duality you two hold as a pair, break their hearts with the fact that you’re going in together and don’t want to lose the other, then you’ll have a large pool of viewers, and especially sponsors, in your palm.”

“Playing a caricature sounds fucking stupid.” Levi had finally sat up and slouched his body and arm onto the couch.

“It’s a TV show,” she said simply, “They’re watching for easy to digest and easy to understand entertainment, it’s easy to promote characters that are already known and loved.”

He ran his fingers through his hair with a click of his tongue. He rolled his head over to me. “Would that shit be alright for you to do brat?”

I sighed. “I mean if it works then yeah, we don’t exactly have many options to pick and choose from.”

He nodded and faced Hanji once again. “We’ll do it then.”

She nodded thankfully, and pushed herself out of her chair, empty glass in hand. She rolled her wrist in circles habitually as she brought out another bottle, not even bothering to check the label and pouring her glass up to the brim again. She looked down into it, almost disassociating as she created little whirlpools in it. She swallowed and looked back up with a hollow smile on her face. “You guys should get some rest, it’s been a long day.”

I glanced up to the window and saw it was almost night-time. Before I turned back and to give a thanks, she had left the room, with a waving hand as the door slid closed behind her.

The day soon came to a close; we had dinner provided to us by some servers we had no idea were even there and were shown to our individual rooms.

I laid in the big bed unable to get to sleep. It was too large, too far off the ground, too soft, too quiet, too _empty_. I hadn’t slept in a room by myself for… for my whole life. Sleeping where you couldn’t hear the quiet breaths of someone a metre away from you, the rustling of sheets of twisting and turning in their sleep, mumbled words from sleep talking, or even just the sounds of the birds outside, the idea was so foreign to me. It was entirely silent, even the rocking of the train, or it’s connection on the rails didn’t make a noise, or not loud enough to penetrate the invincible walls and windows. It was so goddamn unnerving. I could almost hear my heartbeat.

And the fact that Levi wasn’t next to me, just to touch if I needed to, to make sure if he was still there. It was so _scary_ , especially after today. I genuinely thought of just going to check in his room to make sure he was still there, still breathing.

I quietly cursed and tried to burrow myself into the sheets as best I could, blocking out the moonlight that came from the window. Not soon enough, I finally drifted off.

_Where is he? Where is he? Where is he?_ I lurched up, drenched in sweat. _Where is he? Where is he? Where is he? Where is Levi?_ I looked frantically around the room, my hand instinctually reaching out to my left to only to be met with cotton sheets. My hands were shaking, my breath rough and uneven. I struggled to get a full breath before another anxious shudder went through me.

Nothing here was right. None of it. None of the familiarity of home. No Levi.

I held my head in my hands as I tried to get myself together, my mind running off to routes that didn’t even make sense. _Is he hurt? Is he already in the games? Is he already dead? Is he already dead after volunteering to stick with me? My fault, my fault, my fault._

Slowly I got my breathing under control. Inhale; one, two, three. Exhale; one, two, three. Repeat.

Gradually my heartbeat went back to a more acceptable speed, but the nervousness never left me. I looked over to the clock that read in large white letters “ **3:14** ”.

He was probably asleep, even with his bouts of insomnia that he got. But it wouldn’t hurt to check on him, I reasoned. To just calm down my brain and materialise him in front of me without bothering him. Quietly I got out of bed, my toes hesitantly reaching the carpet to quieten my descendance. I was momentarily thankful that we weren’t at home, so I didn’t have to worry about creaking floorboards. I tiptoed out of the door, cringing as the slight whistle of it sliding. I made my way down the corridor, following the floor lights that lit the way. Finally, after a slow and quiet minute, I arrived at his door.

I was frozen stock-still as I just stared at his sleeping form. He looked so peaceful; his usual frown gone, sprawled out reaching to the left side of his bed. It was rare that I got to see him asleep, him always falling sleeping after me and waking up before me. But when it did happen, I couldn’t help but just stare.

He looked so much at peace when he was asleep. Even on the happiest of days tension still ran through his body and face unnoticeable to most people, but it was there. The slight defence and wall that he kept up subconsciously so no one could hurt him or would dare to. It was there sometimes when he was younger when I saw him in school and just in the streets, but it stayed a permanent feature ever since Farlan and Isabel left. To be honest, I probably had something similar that I didn’t even realise I kept up. Pain and trauma just do that to you.

It added to his intimidating aura that he always had, a part that undoubtedly made him quite popular with the girls (a fact he was yet to accept). He may have been physically on the smaller side, even with his pretty well-built muscles, but the atmosphere he created when he walked in the room was unparalleled by any size.

So, when that is what you live with every day, it’s really a treat when you see it completely dissipated. I just stared at him with a soft smile, the moonlight bouncing off his cheekbones and caressing his eyelashes. He was beautiful.

I took a step forward, and then another, getting closer and closer until I could hear his light breathing. A voice in the back of my head was telling me to stop but I was far too sleep deprived, stressed, and drunk off beauty that I pushed it away without a second thought. I slowly lifted the corner of his sheet and slid my leg in, the rest of my body following. I tensed as the mattress dipped to accommodate to the new weight, terrified he would wake up. But he just appeared as if he was fast asleep. I eventually set myself in, and with one more look at the sleeping face in front of me I closed my eyes.

As I started to drift off, I heard shuffling and soon an arm was pushed under the arc of my neck, its attached hand pulling me a bit closer, hand in my hair.

“Sorry for waking you,” I whispered, keeping my eyes closed.

“Don’t worry about it,” he mumbled.

He played with my hair gently, his fingers weaving between the strands, and quicker than I thought possible, I was out like a light.

I felt the sunrays through the window warming my cheek to bring the grave news of the day’s arrival, but I kept my eyes closed, desperate to get some more sleep. I heard some groans of waking next to me, his arm tensing and untensing beneath me, no doubt trying to alleviate some of the numbness. He continued the rustle the sheets with his small stretches but kept his arm where it was. He suddenly went quiet and I desperately focused on making my breathing slow and rhythmic.

I felt a tingle of contact touch my cheek before quickly disappearing. Then after a very long minute, two fingers met my skin and gently caressed my face, scared to add too much pressure. He did it for a while, how I managed to keep up the act I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t about to “wake up” for both of our sakes.

Rivalling the volume of a heartbeat, a murmur was let out. “I’m sorry.”

His hand drew away from me and all I was left with was the feeling of dread.

After counting to ten minutes in my head I cracked open an eyelid lazily. Levi was turning his head away from me before I even had the time to make eye contact.

“Were you admiring my good looks Levi?” I managed through a yawn, offering a tired smile. “That hard to look away from huh?”

He just rolled his eyes, not bothering to send me an empty threat.

I laughed to hide the beating heart that was going crazy in my rib cage, sure to reach to his arm that he was still yet to move.

“I’ll leave you alone for a bit, sorry I snuck in last night.” I rose and jumped off the bed. He opened his mouth a sliver before closing it. He gave a wave of the hand and I was out the door.

As soon as his door slid shut behind me my face dropped and I did a mini repeat of the night before, trying to calm my breathing.

_What the hell was that about?_

Still in my pyjamas, I wandered out to the dining carriage, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. Hanji gave me an equally matched wave and went back to buttering her toast. As I was eating a pastry of some sort, a groggy Levi found his way in as well.

“Morning sunshine,” Hanji greeted.

I was sure I heard a mumbled “Shut the fuck up” making me laugh. He looked at me with a soft smile and slid in a chair across from me.

Hanji talked most of breakfast, going over the basics of finding and creating shelter, getting water, when to make fires, etc. We listened with our eyes half open but our brains stayed locked on to every piece of information we could get.

“You guys are more likely to get a dryer arena I reckon because we haven’t had one in a while,” Hanji spoke, playing with her cold soup, “So you’ll have to be ready for that, I mean you should be prepared for-”

She cut herself off looking out the window and we followed her gaze. The Capitol’s skyscrapers had dug their way into view, only the dam outside of the city separating us now.

“You guys want to seem likeable yeah?” She changed topic quickly and we nodded hesitantly. “This is your first opportunity then. We’ll be arriving at the station and hundreds of people would have come to get a glimpse of everyone that arrived, no doubt some looking for you two in particular. So just, give them some waves or something, interact a bit.”

We nodded and wiped our mouths with the serviettes, situating ourselves on the couch by the window. Soon the train went underground, cement walls being our only view before colour suddenly burst in front of us. Wigs of all colours of the rainbows, clothes big and small, tight and bulky, glittery and mesh. It was a goddamn eyesore. But matched with the alien clothing was smiling faces with energetic waves, reaching over to the train to get a glimpse. We were zoo animals.

I plastered on a smile and waved down into them, getting excited ones in return. A rose was lifted to me by a young boy, and I touched my heart dramatically, mouthing a “thank you”. Levi next to me stayed with his arms crossed looking at me, slightly clicking his tongue at my reaction to the rose but said nothing. I kicked his foot lightly and gave him an eyebrow raise. With a grumble he turned to them too, nodding at their greetings. He waved at a few small children that had been lifted up by parents, who with little fists gave waves back. I few girls, unsurprisingly waved frantically to get his attention, he waved back weakly, we watched them go into giggles and blushes still somehow not blocked by the copious amount of makeup. I locked my jaw slightly and looked away, trying to ignore it. A pretty girl, one that even the over-the-top Capitol look couldn’t hide the beauty of, waved up to Levi who gave her a soft smile in return.

I distracted myself quickly with the camera crew I had managed to notice, following us from behind the crowd along with the moving train. I quickly nudged Levi and pointed out to the camera. Levi scowled melodramatically and I gave the most charming smile I could muster. I elbowed him as a show and he started waving apathetically at the crew.

 _Show your duality together,_ echoed in my brain. I turned to him.

“You think they would all get robbed immediately as soon as they stepped foot into Twelve?” I asked, glad to have insulated walls.

He chuckled, “We would have been the ones to rob them.” I tried to purse my lips to not laugh but I broke into a grin and cackled.

When I glanced back to the window it was now cement again, the bustling station now far behind us. I let a breath fall out of me and got up to get dressed, ready to finally leave into the death trap city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! We'll be getting to the Capital next chapter where we will be meeting a lot more of the other characters, I hope you guys look forward to it!


	3. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and you get introduced to possible allies and possible enemies.

As soon as we stepped out of the train carriage, we were carried off by a group of flamboyant people that looked like they had been asked to dress as if they were channelling an abstract interpretation of a clown. Their glittery clothing and smiles grated against me as they pulled me forcibly by the arm with fake hospitality. We were brought into what seemed like the biggest warehouse I had ever seen, rows of tables and curtains and what seemed to be torture devices, one for each tribute. Some were already on their tables, getting hosed down and waxed. I quickly had to accept the fate that was waiting for me. Soon Levi was out of my sight when he was pulled behind a curtain next to me. A light blue hospital gown was thrown to me and I was directed into a little makeshift change room.

The torture began immediately, getting waxed from head to toe. All that was left was the hair on my scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Even my underwear line was waxed, much to my displeasure. Thankfully, my groans were covered by the twenty-three other people in the room who were also experiencing the same hell. The idea of waxing the tributes had always made no sense to me, we needed hair in case we were getting a cold arena, and I was sure that the cameras wouldn’t zoom in on some arm hair as a source of entertainment. Though who was I to have basic expectations for a place that killed children for fun. Different priorities I suppose. My nails were shaped to perfect ovals, all possible acne removed, and every hair on my head cut to the exact right length.

As I was hosed down and waxed fully for the second time, I distracted myself by imagining Levi getting his armpits waxed only a few meters away and struggled to hold back a laugh. He must have gotten awfully close to swearing and hitting one of the prep teams members by now.

Finally, we were both sitting on a bench together in an empty room, now with perfect eyebrows, waiting for our designer to arrive.

“What the fuck was that,” Levi grumbled.

“Don’t like being silky smooth, huh?” I joked, rubbing and caressing my arms like a dance.

“I’ll skin you.”

I pouted “But you already have your smooth skin, you don’t need mine as a second layer.”

“You piece-”

The door swung upon sending us both into silence. In entered a tall man; blond hair gelled back, a roman nose, and kind blue eyes. Unlike the stylists, all he had to add to his plain black turtleneck and pants was gold eyeliner under his eye. He was definitely not the stylist I had seen on TV for the past few years. He must have been new. The new stylists always got stuck with Twelve after all.

His introductory smile dipped a little into what I could barely believe to actually be pity. “I’m sorry you two have to go through this.”

My eyes went wide.

“I’m afraid the Capitol people don’t quite understand what we do to the tributes,” Erwin spoke, “My heart is with all of you.”

Me and Levi nodded hesitantly, suddenly quite unsure how to navigate a Capitol citizen that had some semblance of empathy.

He looked to Levi who still had his eyes narrowed at him. “It was very brave of you to volunteer; I understand it was your last reaping.”

Levi clicked his tongue and gave no response, still sceptical, which Erwin didn’t seem to mind.

He then turned to me with a small smile. “And it was very brave of you not to dropkick him when he did so.”

My hand flew to my mouth at the speed of a bullet to try and trap the laugh that attempted to shoot out of me. I decided quickly that Erwin was to be liked, Levi agreeing with my evaluation.

Erwin guided us out into an adjoining living room, gesturing us to take a seat on the low couches. He promptly pressed a button on the coffee table which sent up a plate of cut fruits and sat down opposite us. I grabbed a handle of grapes, offering some to Levi who picked the worst ones out of my hand, much to my dismay. Erwin watched us closely, his eyes following over our skin to scrutinise the hours of prep that had happened. He sat back a bit more relaxed, content with the results.

“As you know, you two will have costumes that fit your district for the parade,” Erwin said.

I was already dreading what was set out for us. It was usually coal miner’s overalls or just a black one-piece to look like we were covered in soot. Twelve was never the pretty district. It had been slightly painful to watch Isabel and Farlan get shown off in skimpy miner costumes that barely covered them.

“I can see your life flashing before your eyes already,” Erwin teased, “But my plan is a bit different to the past years’ costumes.”

I gulped. That meant it could be good, or _considerably_ worse. Levi shifted uncomfortably next to me.

“I was admittedly a bit inspired by your reaping and made a few adjustments as you two travelled here. They are now based around the flowers you two had, the black-eyed susan.”

That just sent the two of us into further confusion. Flowers were quite the opposite of literally everything about Twelve.

“Now, what are your two’s thoughts on fire?”

Soon we were fitted into one-piece leather getups, the cracks of the leather made it looks like cracked stone as if to mimic the walls of the mines. But taking up most of the attention was down our sides, in little sections, and across out chest in what looked like a giant yellow gash. We were geodes that had been burst open to display an abundance of yellow flowers bursting out. We were told they were originally meant to be pieces of coal but had been changed only two days ago.

“Now,” Erwin began, “As you go along, one by one they’ll burst into flames from the top down and then fall as they turn to ash. The only ones that will remain will be the one behind you ear (y/n), and the one on your breast Levi.” We nodded in slight fear. “You’ll be perfectly safe; the fire is entirely synthetic and doesn’t even create any heat.”

Erwin and the prep team continued to inspect us as Hanji walked up behind, relaxing us a bit with the familiarity of her presence. She gave us a quick up and down with her hands in her pockets and sent a smile.

“You two looks good,” she hummed. “Much better than the one I had to have I assure you.”

I finally took a quick look around the hall we had arrived in after changing. Scattered randomly were the chariots for each district, each accompanied by their tribute pair with a few stray mentors and stylists and district escorts. We hadn’t gotten the run down on any of them yet, but it was apparent from the first glance that we had more 12-year-olds than usual. They were typically less common, usually only having one as the younger kids usually only put in their name in once or twice, but it seemed many got a handful of bad luck this year. It was a bittersweet thing; it made it easier, but at a cost much harder to digest.

A young energetic girl was up near the front talking excitedly to a tall and broad blond boy. Levi followed my eyes and quickly found the who I had spotted, he shifted slightly closer to me. It was obvious from even this distance that he was from District Two. He was packed with muscles with an intimidating aura and who undoubtedly could kill me with his bare hands. He would be the one to beat. Having sensed he was being watched, he turned to look over his shoulder and made eye contact with us. He narrowed his eyes slightly, seeming to recognise us. We stared at each other for what seemed like eternity, neither party wanting to back down. But before either of us could win or lose a booming voice called out to us to get into position.

I looked back to our group, Hanji faced back to us as well, having seen the same guy. She bit her bottom lip in thought but pushed it away quickly and gave us a thumbs up.

We stepped onto the chariot, I was slightly terrified the horses would just run and send us flying off, but they were well behaved. I gripped onto the side tightly and looked to Levi who just knocked his hand with mine. Instinctually I weaved my fingers through his and he gave a slight squeeze.

_We’ll be fine._

The chariots ahead of us starting pulling out in order. I slightly frowned to myself when I saw the young girl was indeed from District Two with the blond boy. What the hell was she doing here? Two chariots ahead of us, representing District Ten, was a girl in a pigtail and a shaven haired boy who were animatedly talking to each other, seemingly arguing over something stupid. I saw the girl pull out a full baked potato out of her costume and tried my best not to lose it as she tried shovelling it down her throat as quickly as humanely possible before her chariot was sent out too. Levi locked his mouth trying not to smirk. The boy next to her was simultaneously berating her and cheering her on. The two in front of us, District Eleven, a taller and skinny looking boy with a blond undercut and another 12-year-old girl with a blond fringe, were also trying to keep their giggles down. As soon as eating girl had wiped her mouth, their horses lurched them forward, fate deciding to be kind to them that day.

I calmed my breathing down in the seconds I had left, taking a deep breath and setting my eyes forward. Our jet-black horses started trotting and Levi nullified the sudden lurch for me, holding me steadily. Soon we were brought into the open, the crowds roaring almost deafening us, the drums beating rhythmically only worsening it. I grimaced slightly at the sound but started waving up to those around us. As planned, with a squeeze of our hands as a quick communication, we both discretely pressed the button on our cuffs. One by one the yellow flowers burst into blue and orange flames, disintegrating quickly, its petals turning to ash as its middle morphed into a piece of coal. I could see our faces being plastered on large screens above us and I attempted to regurgitate the most charming smile I could. Levi stood still and unwavering, glowering over everyone, hardly needing to act to do so. The camera cut to show a zoom in on the now only remaining flowers me and Levi had, matching our reaping looks, and then to our clasped hands from behind us which sent the crowd into hysterics. I could only imagine the commentary Willy Tybur was spitting out to the TV watchers.

We gradually got the near end of the large track and stopped in a semicircle with the other pairs. We could spot President Zeke Yeager stand up and start walking to the microphone, looking down over the balcony at the tributes below him in a ridiculing smile. How anyone but the district people didn’t see his cruelty was astonishing to me. He looked over his circular glasses down at us, tilting his head to the side like he was trying to provoke us. Levi’s grip tightened as he glared holes into the man’s head, having made eye contact with him. Zeke gave a light chuckle in mocking amusement before looking up to the crowd that was now chanting for him. He coughed gently before giving a winning smile and leaning into the microphone.

“Good afternoon my dear citizens,” he boomed, “How are we today after seeing this year’s valiant tributes?”

An eardrum shattering roar was let out from the audience.

He laughed heartily to himself. “It seems we are doing well then. The Hunger Games is an especially important ceremony for all of us, from District Twelve to the Capitol, it knits us all together.”

Another cheer sounded out around us. I could tell at least half of the tributes around us were refraining from running up there and pushing him right off his pedestal, Levi and I included.

“We wish our tributes a good 67th Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour!”

Our horses started walking again, taking us out of the loud area, our blood still boiling. I swore I could feel the man looking at me, but I didn’t turn around to find out.

Erwin and Hanji quickly jogged up to us to congratulate us on the showing, Hanji glad we were following her advice and Erwin just glad that we didn’t go up in flames due to his own inadequate design. Hanji, mid laugh at some comment I made, faltered when spotting something, or rather someone behind me. Me and Levi turned over our shoulders to see many of the tributes looking at us, most were just looking and commenting on the clothes, jealous they got a stylist with actual creativity, but near the other end of the hall was a group of five. The Careers.

The broad blond boy stood confidently, looking us up and down calculatedly, the young girl by his side. Next to them stood another short girl but she was blond and looked older despite her height, her nose matching Erwin’s in shape. By her side was an almost nervous looking boy but he towered over them with shaggy dark brown hair. And finally, there was an average height boy with brown-almost-red hair swept back who stood in a way like he knew the exact amount of space he took up and his exact worth. They stared us down, even the tributes around us shifted nervously. Levi was about to take a step in front of me before Hanji spoke.

“Let’s go up to the penthouse,” Hanji said, diffusing the air. She pushed me on the back towards the exit, having to pull Levi by the shoulder to follow along. We took one last glance at them before getting into the elevator.

Hanji let us get dressed into something more comfortable before meeting us in the living room that faced a ginormous TV screen. Erwin was already sitting, champagne in hand, while Nick was keeping himself busy on some sort of tablet on the coffee table next to Hanji who was having her drink refilled by a titan.

Titans were not as grand as the name suggested but they would still freak you out nevertheless even though they were quite upsetting to see. They were typically Capitol traitors that were doing something so unforgivable that the government wanted to make an example of them. They had their tongue removed so they couldn’t talk as well as their genitals as some symbol to how they wouldn’t multiply. But the worst part of it was the fact that they were essentially braindead, just the acts of servitude left programmed into their brain. It was a fate that was worse than death.

I looked away with a shake of my head and sat on Hanji’s other side, Levi taking the spot next to Erwin. Eventually Nick had sorted out whatever he was trying to figure out and the TV turned on showing a video yet to start playing.

“This is a recording of the reapings,” Hanji explained, “You need to know what sort of people you’re dealing with.”

The video began, starting from District One. “Annie Leonhart,” the extravagant speaker had said. With a cheer the shorter blond girl from before walked on stage with an emotionless face. A man’s voice stuck out most distinctly from the crowd which made her widen her eyes, giving some sort of a reaction at least. “Bertolt Hoover.” The tall boy with shaggy hair joined her on stage with a slight blush and a bow in reaction to the crowd and shook hands with Annie.

Next came District Two. Levi and I leant forward in our seats. “Zofia Reitsch.” I expected it to the cut to the girl I had seen but instead it showed a barely phased, silver haired girl who didn’t even bother to take a single step before a “I volunteer as tribute!” rung out across the area. Volunteering was expected in Two; most trained up until the age of eighteen and volunteered in their last reaping in order to decimate the competition. What was unusual though, was that the volunteer usually wasn’t a fellow twelve-year-old who ran up to the stage with excitement running through her veins.

“What’s your name?” The speaker asked, leaning down almost parentally, to the girl I saw before.

“Gabi Braun!” She declared which got a roaring cheer from the crowd.

It was psychopathic. It didn’t matter that they might have been in a better off district, there was a rule that had never been broken; twelve-year-olds don’t win the games. Yet cheered they did, chanting her name. They cheered that they were sending one of their children to die.

The speaker went over to the other bowl, carefully picking out a name. “Reiner Braun.”

“Same last name?” Levi muttered to no one in particular.

Up marched the blond boy from before. It was no surprise no one wanted to volunteer to take his place, he looked like he’d kill them where they stood in order to get the spot he felt was rightfully his.

“My, my, you two have the same last surname. What’s the relation?” the speaker asked.

“Cousins,” Reiner said shortly. Gabi just looked up with big eyes and a smile digging into her cheeks, so oblivious of what actually awaited her other than cousin bonding time.

We went quickly through the other districts; not taking much notice of most of them as the career pack were clearly the threats of the selections this year. No other volunteers came up. The second twelve-year-old was a boy from Three called Falco Grice who had accidentally caused a scuffle as his older brother, who was too old to volunteer for him, was trying to break through the crowd to get to him. We also discovered the third boy in the career pack from District Four was Marcel Galliard, but we didn’t bother taking much notice of the girl as she had been excluded from the group. Eventually we got to Ten and found out the potato girl was called Sasha Blouse, but our hearts tore a little when we recognised the face she made when the name Connie Springer was called out. Their faces on stage of absolute horror were those of best friends. We had seen that first-hand with Isabel and Farlan. The third and final twelve-year-old was Kaya, the girl from Eleven who got called up with her an older boy called Niccolo. Niccolo’s face of pure terror was where we ended the video, not needing, or wanting, to see ours.

We had dinner in near silence. Hanji and Erwin chatted quietly amongst themselves, Nick eating at the other end of the table, while me and Levi ate our food diligently without a word. I kicked his foot subtly under the table making him look up and give me a playful glare. It was setting into us more properly now that we would have to kill people. The people whose life we would end had names, family, friends, dreams, and ambitions. But someone in that arena, us, or someone else, would stop that short.

Levi wasn’t dealing well with the obvious revelation either.

It gave me shivers just thinking about driving a knife into one of the younger kids. I wondered what it would be like to kill a little girl like Gabi. I hoped I didn’t have to find out.

We went to sleep a lot more quickly than the night before, entirely exhausted by the events of the day. It once again felt weird to not sleep with Levi by my side but at least it wasn’t entirely silent; the noises coming from the streets down below from celebrations still managed to get up, albeit, deafened and distorted by the distance. But at least I had that, even if it was people celebrating my soon to be death.

At breakfast the next morning, Hanji gave us the run down.

“You’ll be training with the other tributes for the next three days,” Hanji started, “You’ll be able to see what they’re good at and if they’re even good at all. Use this time to train yourself in things you haven’t tried or don’t know how to do.” We nodded. “And under no circumstances showcase your real fighting skills.”

“Huh?” Levi injected simply.

“I don’t want you two painting a target on your backs, well more than you already have,” Hanji added. It was obvious that the careers had their eyes on us already.

“But we need to get to used to their weapons, don’t we? They use the same ones in the arena,” I reasoned, “I can’t go in and not know that the knives are too heavy for me or something.”

“That’s all well and good but if they know you prefer throwing then they’ll beeline to them immediately in the games so you can’t get your hands on them. Levi is safer because as long as it’s sharp he can use it, but you need to be careful.”

I grumbled to myself, annoyed that she was technically right.

“Oh, and Levi?”

He looked up from his porridge.

“Don’t piss anyone off yeah?”

“It would be their fault if they did,” he muttered.

Hanji just sighed and looked to me who I gave a quick nod to. I’d keep him reigned in.

We went down the elevator in near silence in our training uniforms. Levi was leaning against the wall, seeming to hide his face from me. I ducked a little and saw his eyes were closed.

“How much sleep did you get last night?” I whispered.

“Enough.”

“Bullshit.”

He glanced up to me but couldn’t think of anything to retaliate.

“You can always come to my room if you want you know,” I said quietly, bumping my shoulder into his.

He looked up a little surprised before nodding lightly. He never seemed to realise that he didn’t have to be the one that looked after me all the time. It was a burden he took on without thinking about himself or if I even needed it. It was just in his nature.

He stood up as the doors slid open, revealing the massive training room. We stepped out and noticed that almost everyone was there already, just missing Sasha and Connie from what I could tell. There were categorised zones all over the large room each with at least one person standing by it to help direct and teach. Some had real trees growing in them to learn how to make fires and traps, others held racks upon racks of silver weapons. There were shooting ranges for all different types of long-range weapons, each with a dummy at the end. For realism I supposed. There were elevated platforms for fighting hand to hand, little tables that held ropes for learning to tie knots.

Most of the tributes were just sat around on scattered benches or just on the ground where comfortable, waiting for instructions. The careers hung around the weapon area, checking them out but not touching. With them now was a younger boy, Falco I was pretty sure. It wasn’t uncommon for careers adopt a District Three tribute in order to get someone who knew technology and therefore more high-tech traps pretty well, and it was usually in the tribute’s best interest to stick with the careers so they weren’t an immediate target. But most died by a career’s hand anyway. Though there had been a few that had turned the tables on their alliance in a single night using the brains they were wanted for in the first place. I didn’t like the games but if I had to pick my favourite ones, it would have been those. Though one look at Falco told me there was no way he could ever kill a person, let alone the five people surrounding him.

Above us was a room with chairs yet to be filled, but in the middle stood a man with red hair swept to the side. I didn’t need to guess who it was. It was Floch Fortser, the head game maker. He peered over us, almost bored, with a glass of wine in hand. We looked up to the man that would ultimately decide our fate. He had been criticised for his arena’s being too boring last year, I had a feeling this year he would step it up. Wasn’t that just lucky?

Finally, a bald man with a barely hanging on beard entered the room. With just one look at his scary eyes, I knew he was the instructor. Everyone stood up and watched as he placed himself squarely in front of all of us.

“All of you brats will be able to train here for the next few days,” he boomed, “There will be no fighting amongst yourselves, you will have plenty of time for that later. Anything requiring another person will be done with a trainer. You-”

The elevator dinged, alerting of a new arrival. We could hear the laughter from it even without the doors open. Out came Sasha and Connie who were doubled over with giggles but soon realised the _very quiet_ room they had walked into was looking at them. The man looked like he wanted to kill them. They coughed quickly and looked down, mumbling a quick apology, and obscured themselves from view behind me and Levi.

The man looked back to the group with a twitching eyebrow. “You will be able to come and go as you please. Any fighting happening between tributes will receive punishments.” We all nodded and broke off from each other quickly.

“What’s first?” Levi asked, stretching out his neck.

I pondered for a minute as I scoured the room. “Traps?”

Half an hour later we had learnt animal traps, the instructor ecstatic that we already knew the basics, and so through his excitement started teaching us how to tie ropes to make people traps. Soon we had one that would pull someone upside down when stepped into and I had been spending the last few minutes daring Levi to step into it who was adamantly refusing.

“Come on…” I playfully whined. “It’ll be funny!”

“No, you brat.” Levi had his arms crossed, looking me dead in the eye, though I knew the hint of curiosity was still in his eyes.

“Fine, I’ll do it you coward.”

Levi took a step back and watched nervously as I hesitantly stepped into the camouflaged circle of rope. Like a rubber band I shot up by my ankle, just managing to hold back a yell. When my stomach calmed down and I understood my bearings I let out a laugh. Levi just shook his head at me, trying to hold back a chuckle of his own.

“Okay how the fuck do I get down though?”

We had gone around to most of the smaller activities by near the end of the day; learning how to make a fire no matter what materials you had, how to make weapons from stuff lying around, which plants were edible, and which would kill you on the spot. The career pack stayed around the weapon areas, throwing spears, shooting arrows and battling with swords with the trainers. Most had stayed clear of them, always going to a different area if one wanted to use theirs, no one wanted to make enemies. But as it was nearing the end of the day half of them had now left, getting bored.

We decided it was time to start learning some of the other skills we had missed out on so far. We split up; him going to the javelin section, me going to the archery. So far I hadn’t managed to hit the dummy let alone one of the inner circles of the targets even once. It had entirely different fundamentals to knife throwing and I kept grazing myself with the string to make it worse. I was about to give up when I heard footsteps approach me.

“(y/n) right?” I turned and saw a smiling Sasha.

I nodded, “Sasha yeah?”

“That’s the one!” she beamed. I couldn’t help but smile too.

Over her shoulder I could see Levi looking back at us, unsure whether it was a confrontation or just a friendly conversation. I just smiled at him and he went back to his training. Sasha watched us but said nothing. She looked back to the bow I was holding in my hands and let out a huff.

“Did they not even teach you how to hold it properly?” she asked.

“They tried…” I trailed off, I had never been good at following instructions.

She took her hands out of her pockets and with a quick look of “may I?” she adjusted my positioning, moving my fingers one by one until they were in the exact right spot.

“Try now.”

Nervously I drew an arrow and aimed at the dummy, taking a deep breath. As I exhaled, I let it fly, its plastic feather caressing my cheek. It stuck itself in the thigh of the dummy, Sasha next to me let out a little cheer.

She continued to give me pointers, of how long to hold it back, when to let go, where to aim, how to adjust for wind, but not once did she pick up the bow herself. I had a feeling she had been given the same instruction I had of not to showcase her speciality. I didn’t mention it, much to her relief, but I could tell just by every precise word she gave me that she was extraordinarily good. But no one was going to pay attention to her standing next to someone who sucked at archery, much less think she could do it herself if they couldn’t hear the conversation. By the end of it I had managed to stick the arrow into the dummy’s torso every time, even getting it once in the head.

“You’re a fast learner.”

“Only when I have a good teacher.”

She gave me a smile and we both looked over the room, almost everyone was gone. Levi had moved on to swords, attempting to dual wield, Connie was trying to practice manoeuvring with spears, and Niccolo and Kaya were seated on a bench just watching the room.

“I’ll teach you something tomorrow,” I said quietly, cocking my head towards the knife throwing area.

She raised her eyebrows a little before nodding. We went our separate ways, each to our district counterparts that were waiting for us.

Dinner was a fairly quiet ordeal, Levi and I just summarised what we had learnt during the day, though I avoided the fact that the “great teacher” I had for archery was in fact another tribute. Levi stayed quiet, but I was pretty sure Hanji knew anyway.

Getting to sleep that night was a bit harder, I kept tossing and turning, unable to find a spot that rested my body comfortably. The main thing to blame however was the fact my brain had kicked into overdrive by trying to remember every little detail of the day, every little instruction I had gotten. However, the silence of my bedroom was disturbed by an almost silent knock.

I jumped out of bed, already knowing who my late-night visitor was, and opened the door to see a tired Levi leaning against the wall. He hid his eyes from me from under his hair, though I was sure they were almost closed. I gave a little smile, not knowing if he could even see it, and held him gently by the hand. He didn’t resist as I pulled him into my room and closed the door behind us, guiding him over to my bed. We slipped in quietly to my sheets, I pulled them up so they rested just under his chin, preferring to cover some of my face with them.

With my other hand that wasn’t holding his, I reached out and softly touched his hair, sweeping it out of his eyes that were looking straight at me. He just watched and breathed lightly as he could as I played with his hair, twirling the strands and smoothing them back. Ever so slowly he reached out his other hand and held my wrist, halting my movement. We just stared at each other. It looked like he wanted to say something, that it was bursting at the edges of his lips, but he stayed noiseless. Instead, he reached out and cupped the back of my head, pulling me to his chest.

I made no effort to stop him and burrowed myself deeper into his chest, his body flush against mine. Neither of us spoke a word or moved away even a millimetre from each other. All I had to bless my ears was his steady heartbeat pumping directly next to my ear, rocking me to sleep.


End file.
